November 7, 2013

New Fall TV: Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Of all the network tv shows, the classic half-hour sitcom is probably my favorite. They are low risk, mostly harmless, and sometimes result in a laugh or two. More often than not sitcoms are bad, but those tend to go away pretty quickly[1] and there is no harm done. Lately shows like The Office and Parks & Rec have defined sitcom success. With those shows going away we need some new ones to step in and fill the void. Modern Family started with a great first season, but is now faltering. I’ve only seen the first couple episodes, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine seems like it is going to be a winner.

I have always liked Andy Sandberg. Hot Rod was a great comedy, but other than SNL I haven’t seen much of his stuff. I was already rooting for Brooklyn Nine-Nine when I heard he was the lead. Based on the first two episodes it has delivered on all the things that a good sitcom needs to do.

Right at first is was a bit of a stretch to believe that Samberg could be such a good cop while also being such a dufus. It didn’t take long to get over that, and I have enjoyed it quite a bit. There are funny jokes and overall good writing. There are a lot of characters, which isn’t uncommon for a sitcom these days, and in the first two episodes we haven’t seen much from the rest of the crew outside of Samberg and his chief. They have a lot to work with. It should be a fun first season. I’m looking forward to watching it. So far this is the best new show of fall 2013 in my opinion.

  1. With the notable exception of 2.5 Men, which won’t go away despite how horrible it is.  ↩


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